Keeping You Up to Date

BB&N Celebrates the Arts

Students, faculty, and parents gathered in Renaissance Hall the last weekend of April to celebrate the arts at BB&N. With the wide, light-filled hallways transformed into art galleries of student work (much of which was inspired by pieces at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts), and with music from student performances floating out of the new rehearsal spaces, the sunny afternoon became an exhilarating experience of sight and sound.

The day focused not only on recognizing the arts at BB&N, but on exploring art through interactive means, and many students left with masterpieces of their own making when the celebration ended.

This year marked the 15th anniversary of the School’s collaboration with the MFA; in order to showcase BB&N's beautiful new Upper School arts spaces, however, the annual celebratory event was tweaked and moved on-campus this year. As the many happy guests would attest, the result was an artistic success of Michelangelo-ic proportions. Through the hard work of many faculty members, particularly Lower School Arts Chair Sharen Bowden, the event was befitting of the profound arts programs at BB&N. CLICK HEREfor a photo gallery of the day. Top

Behind the Mask Comes to Lower School

Lower Schoolers participated in a unique educational performing arts event with Behind the Mask, a theater company that “scours the modern & folk traditions of the world looking for tales that can be turned into lavish productions of storytelling, mask, song, dance, and puppetry,” according to Eric Bornstein, founder and artistic director of the company. Students were mesmerized by their latest production, The Woman Who Outshone the Sun, a story about a beautiful and mysterious woman with magical powers who is exiled from her mountain village. The performance, which was done in Spanish and English, was brought to BB&N by the Young Audiences of Massachusetts and was made possible by the Maureen Baker Fund. Top

Maeder-York Thrives in Robotics Challenge

Paxton Maeder-York ’10 was at the center of a thrilling robotics clash in late March; the sophomore was a member of a team of high schoolers that battled to the very last heat of the championship round of the regional FIRST Robotics Competition, before falling just short. The competition (pictured above) was staged in front of a raucous crowd of 4,500 people at Boston University’s Agganis Arena. FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is an organization started by legendary engineer and inventor Dean Kamen, which challenges young men and women to work in teams to build robots that compete in a set of obstacles and trials designed by engineering professionals. In addition to intense competition, the event included a speech by Mayor Thomas Menino and an inspiring presentation by Colin Angle, CEO of industry leader iRobot. Top

Kotter Wins Scholastic Award

Caroline Kotter ’08 (pictured above) was recently honored in the Boston Globe Scholastic Art awards contest, winning the prestigious Gold Key award and the chance to compete nationally for her digital photograph, “Where Have All the Young Men Gone?” Several other Upper School students were also given Scholastic Art awards including Ariel Levin ’09 who won a Silver Key for a digital photo of her synagogue in Beacon Hill. Isis Kayiga ’08, Andrew Billingsley ’08, and Jake Kahane ’09 also received Honorable Mention in the competition, which boasted 75,000 participants in its Arts and Writing section and is currently in its 85th year as a national program. Top

Third Issue of Caption
Arriving Soon

The eagerly anticipated third issue of Caption is in production and will arrive this month.  The brainchild of senior David Seliger, Caption came to life last year as a student publication that combined elements of both graphic novels and comic books. “I wanted a publication that was a collaborative effort like Vanguard but had art and various interesting/amusing things in it,” says Seliger.

He certainly succeeded on the “collaborative” front—he and co-editor Jess Brodsky ’10 worked on production with assistance from art teacher John Norton, and a total of 36 individuals contributed content (illustration above by Sam Wallis ’10) for the upcoming issue, which includes both a magazine and an attached CD. Seliger also succeeded on the “interesting & amusing” front: this year’s issue includes a brief personal history of Armen Dedekian’s life in the USSR, two different “flip books”, Doug Neuman’s Thanksgiving speech illustrated by six students, and “an apparently superb cake recipe from John Norton.”

Those interested in obtaining a copy should CLICK HERE to contact co-editor David Seliger. Top

57th Annual BB&N Circus: Saturday, May 3

Join all your friends at the Lower School Campus on May 3rd—10AM to 3PM—for an exhilarating blast of games, rides, food, and fun at the BB&N Circus. All proceeds from the non-stop fun benefit the School’s financial aid program.

Perennial favorites back this year include the moon bounce, the obstacle course, the dunk tank, lots of games of skill and chance, several crafts tables, and face painting. As always, the Market Bazaar will offer books, sports equipment, and toys. Donated items are needed and welcome, or just come to browse and find a great bargain.

The Silent Auction is a great opportunity to bid on unique vacations, catered parties, gourmet items, sports tickets, and more. Hope to see you there! Top

Faxon '07 Performs at BB&N with Yale Singing Group

Hilary Faxon ’07 returned to BB&N’s Lower and Upper School campuses to perform with her Yale University a capella group, The New Blue. Founded when Yale first admitted women in 1969, New Blue has maintained its reputation as one of the finest collegiate singing groups in the nation, receiving the Contemporary A Cappella Society’s award for Best Female Collegiate Album. Highlights included a strong rendition of Tracey Chapman’s Fast Car and James Taylor’s Fire and Rain. Top

Old and Young Combine in
Art Sharing

In a scene apropos to Make Way for Ducklings, a line of Beginners paraded through the Upper School Commons this March, drawing “ohhs” and “ahhs” from smitten older students. The explanation behind this intrepid foray into the Upper School? An art sharing exercise between the Lower and Upper School campuses.

“It’s so neat for the Beginners to get a sense of how art is used by older students and to get the two different campuses involved with one another,” said Beginner art teacher Maria Lindberg who helped organize the visit. “And the older kids love seeing the Beginners!”

After their exciting walk through the Upper School campus, the Beginner students talked to Drawing Teacher Miklos Pogany before sitting in on a studio art class of John Norton’s.  Sitting cross-legged on the art studio floor, the older students relished the chance to look at their work through younger eyes as Norton facilitated a discussion and some interactive art projects. As the visit drew to a close, it was difficult to tell who was having more fun—the Upper School students, the Beginners, or Norton and Lindberg themselves! Top

Middle School Springs into Reading

Books, books, and more books were the theme at the Middle School this month as the student community wrapped up a month-long “Spring into Reading” read-a-thon, in which dozens of students logged more than 700 hours of reading time to raise $1,300 to help promote literacy training and basic education for Guatemalan children through the Safe Passage program. The read-a-thon was capped by an April 25 visit from Marcella Pixley, author of the popular young adult novel, Freak. Pixley spoke to Middle Schoolers at a special assembly and stayed to sign books (pictured above) and chat with her fans at a reception which celebrated the Middle School’s newly renovated library. The facility has met with great acclaim—an upcoming book by Kim Bolan, More Teen Spaces, will include reference to it as an exemplary teen library. Top

Sudanese Ex-Slave Speaks at Middle School

Middle School students gained insight into the harsh reality of slavery in Africa when ex- slave Francis Buk spoke at a recent assembly. Born in a small village in southern Sudan, Buk was only seven years old when he was forced into slavery after being abducted from the market near his village where he was selling eggs and peanuts for his mother.

“I had to put myself in God’s hands,” he explains. “Everything else was taken away from me except my faith.” His captors forced Buk to be a goat herder. He lived and slept with the animals and was fed only one meal per day for ten years.

In 1996, at the age of 17, Buk escaped and reported his story to the police. Instead of helping, though, the officers forced him to work and sleep in the kitchen. Buk ran away after being locked inside the station for two months. Three years after his escape from slavery, Buk flew to North Dakota to start his new life as a UN refugee and speaker for the American Anti-Slavery Group.

In 2000, he spoke about Sudan to senators and congressmen in Washington. Since then, Buk has given speeches alongside Coretta Scott King and was the first ex-slave to testify before the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. He was also present at the signing of the Sudan Peace Act with President George W. Bush. Top

Howard Gardner Speaks to Faculty and Parents

Last month BB&N was privileged to welcome famed sociologist Dr. Howard Gardner, P’04, to the School for two talks about education. Gardner, the author of more than 20 books and a MacArthur Grant winner, spoke about his most recent book, Five Minds for the Future, before fielding questions and extrapolating his research in relation to BB&N.

Most famous for his ground-breaking theory of multiple intelligences, Gardner spoke to an all-school faculty audience in the afternoon and to a parent audience that same night. Through a subdued yet engaging and humorous style, Gardner expounded on many topics of interest such as the effects of globalization on education and the crumbling state of ethics in the younger generation.

'“With the speed at which change is occurring, education has to be a life-long pursuit now,” said Gardner. “No one can rest on their laurels just because they completed school or college.” Gardner also stressed the importance of ethics: “I would keep in mind the words of (Ralph Waldo) Emerson, who said, ‘character is more important than intellect.’” Top

Middle School Chorus Attends Music Festival

Middle School Chorus members and director Kathi Gellar had the privilege of attending a Chorus Festival held at the Rivers School in Weston. “It was a totally cool event since we got a ton of time with the clinician, Nick Page. He is an extremely well known clinician, (worldwide, in fact!), energetic, knowledgeable, and just amazing!” Gellar says. “The kids were singing, moving, and conducting. We sang some Zulu songs, learned conducting skills, and then sang two songs from our current repertoire. Rivers sang two songs as well. Nick coached each group, offering suggestions and working with both the students and the adults.” Top

Upper School Students
Reach Out Through Community Service

Many Upper School students and parents recently have been dedicating their time on weekends and after school to give back to neighboring communities through hands-on service projects.  

Organized by the US parent committee, a group of students recently worked with the Special Olympics and the Greater Boston Food Bank. Twenty-one students and parents went to two different Special Olympic events—bowling in Shrewsbury and basketball in Worcester. This past Saturday, a group of US students and parents traveled to the Greater Boston Food Bank, the largest hunger-relief organization in New England and one of the largest food banks in the country.

“We had about 20 volunteers who sorted and packed enough food for 2,268 meals,” said Robin Gilbert, one of the many parents who helped organize the family community service event.

Also of note is a group of US students recently awarded a PIN (Parents Independent School Network) Community Service Grant for their efforts at the Tobin School in Cambridge, where they worked with younger students on after-school science projects.

“This is a wonderful award and you should all be very proud,” said parent Amy Sassoon. “You are the first BB&N students who have ever received the award from PIN. Good job and thank you for making a difference in the lives of Tobin School children.”

CLICK HERE to see the new Upper School Community Service website pages, full of helpful resources. Top

Dobson's Work on Exhibit

Upper School Photography Teacher and Arts Chair Parrish Dobson, P’07, recently opened a photography show at the Domaine Gallery in Portland, Maine. The exhibit features many of Dobson’s works from more than 20 years of photography along the Maine coast, a favorite subject of hers. The exhibit features both color and black-and-white photos, and runs through the summer. For more information, please CLICK HERE. Top

Senior Project Places Erdos in Company of Champions

Elleree Erdos ’08 enjoyed an exciting and high-visibility spring project last month as she volunteered at the John Hancock Elite Athlete Village leading up to the 112th Boston Marathon. Her duties included writing a blog for the WBZ Channel 4 website, where she recorded her experiences before, during, and after the race. As she writes in the blog, “Few high school seniors can say they’ve had the opportunity to interview world-class athletes at a press conference, carry an eternal flame from the city where the marathon originated, or eat dinner with now four-time Boston Marathon winner Robert Cheruiyot!” (Cheruiyot and Erdos pictured above.)

CLICK HERE to read Erdos’ blog. Top